I have volunteered and worked with the community, students, families, and teachers/staff in many different roles for several years now, more specifically council PTA. I see and hear the needs of our community and in our school district. There is potential in our district and in our community to thrive. I believe it is beneficial for a school board to have people with different perspectives to make good decisions for the school district, and it must include good teamwork to achieve success. My focus when making decisions will be student advocacy, academics, teacher/staff support, family and community engagement.

Having many years involved in the parent and teacher association, as well as many other community organizations; I would say that my hands-on experience with the parents, teachers/staff, and community will help drive meaningful improvements in our district. I have a strong commitment to student advocacy, parent engagement, and academics to prepare these students for success. I will advocate for transparent communication, data-driven decision making, and policies that put the students first.

To improve English and math proficiency, we need to focus on strong instructional practices, targeted interventions, and a strong student accountability. Setting clear academic expectations and enforcing behavioral policies to maintain a focused learning environment. Also providing teacher/staff with effective training and needed resources to give the student the education needed. If I am elected to the SJSD board, I will advocate for data-driven solutions, parental involvement, and policies that will directly affect student achievement and discipline.

Understanding the district’s budget is essential to ensuring taxpayers’ dollars are spent wisely. I feel that reviewing budget reports thoroughly with collaboration is needed to assess spending priorities. It is my understanding that a structured evaluation protocol is in place to review all programs to ensure efficiency. Underperforming programs should be reevaluated to ensure responsible stewardship of the district resources. Transparency and accountability will be the key to make sure that every dollar directly benefits students needs, district needs, and positively impacts the community. Although a financial assessment audit is done every year, a more detail audit could help ensure there is no wasteful spending.

It would depend what the tax increase is used for as the increase should be a last resort. It should only be considered if it directly benefits the students, such as academics improvements, supporting our teachers/staff, or to enhance school safety. Before considering a tax increase on the school district annual budget, we must make sure our existing funds are being used efficiently and transparently. I will support and advocate for responsible financial decisions.

A consistent feeder system would be a more efficient approach for our district. A redistricting proposal should be data-driven and transparent to ensure that it is in the best interest of our students and our district.

I will always support what moves our district forward in a positive direction. I know that we need a change and what struggles we have now with our school facilities. The community decides our future of our schools. If the bond passes and we get to build a new high school, I would want to make sure that we do not just build another school. I would want to make sure that we have all stakeholders needed so nothing gets missed and we do not waste our taxpayer dollars. If the bond fails, then I do think we need to update the facilities we have. We have beautiful buildings that can be renovated and restored to fit our student and district needs. Whether it passes or fails, I want to make sure we address the facility issues in all the other buildings as well.

I believe that we must have a secure learning environment while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for students and staff. School safety should be top priority by taking a proactive, balance approach. I do support using metal detectors and security guards/resource officers if they prove effective for our district. It is equally important to provide comprehensive safety training for our teachers and staff to ensure they are prepared for emergencies.

Student Accountability- Educators have expressed many of times that they are dealing with discipline in the classroom and unable to teach. Implementing a clear and enforceable discipline policy would be beneficial with parental involvement. Positive school culture- Educators and staff express concerns on feeling supported. Administrators should support teachers with classroom challenges. They should also be approachable and responsive. Reducing unnecessary paperwork and non teaching duties would help educators focus on instruction. An evaluation yearly of administration and employer as a whole would be beneficial to see areas of improvement, areas of success, and room for suggestions. Salaries and Retention-Advocating for competitive pay and making sure they have all resources available.

The board of education oversees one employee, which is the superintendent. Our responsibilities include focusing on governing policies. The job of our administrators is to implement these policies through established procedures. I intend to continue to evaluate our policies to insure our student and staff benefits from their effects.

All students should be treated equally. There should be a strong and enforceable policy on bullying and harassment on any students to have a safe and respectful learning environment. I do not support bathroom and locker room access based on someone’s preferred gender, as there are alternative solutions to ensure all students feel safe. You must consider privacy and comfort of all students. Policies should not create discomfort for the majority in an effort to accommodate a few.

Our current annual performance rating is failing. The basics of core education should be emphasize. Our focus should always be reading, writing and arithmetic.

Parents have the right to know if their child is facing harm, and schools should not keep critical information from them. I will always advocate for policies that ensure transparency and parental involvement while supporting students’ well-being.

Moderate